#ImFromGaza Fakhoora Update
#ImFromGaza is Al Fakhoora’s social media advocacy platform established to extend the reach of student voices in Gaza and Palestine and enable them to contribute to the global conversation using their own voice and narratives during the November 2012 attacks on Gaza. The students have now reactivated the platform and are providing real time updates on the ongoing attacks taking place now. With almost 2000 people from around the world currently posting, sharing, commenting and engaging in discussions. The posts have reached over 10,000 people in the last few days alone and is increasing by the hour.
Early in the morning on Tuesday, July 8, 2014, Israel launched a sustained and targeted attack against locations and people living in the Gaza Strip. Israel has pledged to increase attacks and not ruled out the possibility of a ground invasion. The Israelis are referring to the campaign as operation protective edge.
Since this latest conflict, Al Fakhoora has worked with the students, our partners in Gaza and the US to reactivate the platforms with a student voice on the ground while under attack. The students have responded, using the Facebook page as the main anchor in disseminating their voice and engaging in global dialogue.
Currently the students are focused on reporting facts on the ground as they see and experience them, while including commentary and opinion. They have also been very active in sharing news, images and videos from mainstream and Arab news outlets, as well as from people and organizations in Gaza. This is a time for the students to vent, and seek reason in an unreasonable situation, and a time of limited censorship. Even though this may be the case, we have seen students use their facilitation skills and experience throughout. We have seen posts that have sparked dialogue and at times debate, between the different members, sometimes about sensitive subjects. What is also important to note is what we haven’t seen, which is hate speech, violence inciting, and racism from any side.
Over the next few hours and days Al Fakhoora will also be identifying the different options and possibilities for aid intervention. Al Fakhoora is currently in discussions with partner organisations regionally and in country to conduct needs assessments and provide assistance when and where necessary. We will be updating our website and social media platforms frequently during this time.
By taking these simple steps on social media, you can contribute to one voice: #ImFromGaza
YouTube:
1. Meet the students running this campaign by watching our video on YouTube: http://bit.ly/imfromgaza
Facebook:
1. Join their page www.facebook.com/imfromgaza
2. Share, like and comment to communicate with us directly
3. Download our #ImFromGaza profile picture and cover photo and set them as your display pictures across all your social media networks
Twitter:
1. Follow us on twitter @fakhooraorg
2. Use our hashtag #ImFromGaza, and the global hashtags #GazaUnderAttack to raise awareness, spread the voice of students in Gaza, hear the latest news and contribute to the global conversation.
SMS, Whatsapp & BB messenger
1. Send the below message to your contacts:
“#ImFromGaza u can help by being a part of one voice, follow us @fakhooraorg & www.facebook.com/ImFromGaza & YouTube http://bit.ly/imfromgaza & help us now”
2. Change your profile pic on SMS, Whatsapp & BB
Email:
Copy and paste the address of this page and forward it to all your email and Facebook contacts to extend the reach of this campaign.
